INSPIRED BY MARCELA

Posted in Appetizers, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

The FoodTV Network: Like a broken record, I might normally go on and on complaining about how great it was but no longer is… I must say, though, that the more I watch “Mexican Made Easy”, the more I enjoy the show. Marcela Valladolid is knowledgeable, cooks great food, and is fun to watch. Plus, she’s fit, which is not an easy task when you’re cooking and working with food 24 hours/day. Or close to that. 😉 Apparently she owes her great shape to yoga. On one segment about healthy Mexican recipes, they showed her serene composure during a tough variation of Warrior III, and in an advanced Twisted Pigeon pose. Impressive, to say the least. ANYWAY, back to cooking. In another recent episode she shared a tempting recipe for Chicken Tostadas. I didn’t make it yet, but I prepared one of its components, the tomatillo-avocado salsa. It couldn’t be easier, and it couldn’t be tastier. You absolutely HAVE to make and serve this alongside anything! Ok, maybe not with that slice of chocolate cake… 😉

FRESH TOMATILLO-AVOCADO SALSA
(adapted from Marcela Villadolin)

6 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 large yellow tomatoes, cored and seeded, coarsely chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 Serrano chile, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper

Combine the tomatillos, yellow tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, chile, and lemon juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Season the salsa with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours or until ready to use.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I intend to make her chicken tostadas soon, my problem is the tostada part, as we still don’t have a gas cooktop. But I might improvise and come up with an alternative. Tomatillos are usually cooked before incorporation into salsas and sauces, but in this fresh preparation the trick is to mellow their sharpness down by adding the avocado and using lemon juice instead of lime juice, as most salsas would call for. Simple. Brilliant.

My adaptation was adding some yellow tomatoes because they were looking at me and begging to be consumed. So I did. Next time I might either process a little less, or save a few pieces of diced yellow tomatoes to add at the end and make it a bit more chunky. We served it with grilled steel head trout and steamed rice. Phil thought that a great idea for an appetizer would be a small piece of grilled salmon or trout over a blue tortilla chip, and a dab of tomatillo salsa on top. No doubt in my mind I married a guy with great taste. 😉

On a slight tangent: as I was preparing this post, I got the feed notification of a new article by Kelly, over at Inspired Edibles. She wrote a nice tribute to her yoga instructor, and I invite you to jump over there and read it, very inspring! As a bonus, you’ll also get a recipe for homemade energy bars…
I am all for energy bars these days! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate Intensity

TWO YEARS AGO: Shrimp in Moroccan-Style Tomato Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Golden Zucchini: A Taste of Yellow

26Jul2012

A TASTE OF YELLOW TO HONOR BARBARA

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Long before I started my own site, I already followed Barbara’s blog, Winos end Foodies. For a while I was unaware of her health problems, until one day I clicked on the “About” page and learned that she started blogging right after being diagnosed with cancer, in 2004. She used Winos and Foodies to get her mind away from her illness, and through the years of blogging she touched many people’s lives. A lot has been written about Barbara, you can read a particularly touching tribute here

A few months after I started the Bewitching, I wrote Barbara an email and was amazed by how kind and thoughtful she was, sending me advice and encouragement. She read, left comments, dropped me private emails, it was hard to imagine that she could do it all while fighting one of the toughest battles a person can face. I feel fortunate to have known her, at least virtually.

If you’ve never stopped by Winos and Foodies, please do so. She wrote about art, photography, food, her relationship with her husband of so many years, and occasionally about her tough times with cancer. You will notice that contrary to what most bloggers do (myself included), she didn’t post a blogroll of websites she enjoyed. Instead, she created a page called Blog Friends, and listed everyone by name. A special, sweet gesture, so typical of her.

In 2007, fascinated by the performances of Lance Armstrong 0n the Tour de France, she launched the event “A Taste of Yellow” , to coincide with LIVEstrong Day, and to raise awareness about cancer in the community of food bloggers. Barbara passed away on June 29th, so this year’s event, hosted by Jeanne (Cook Sister), is dedicated to her.

For my participation in this series of Taste of Yellow, I chose to cook with beautiful ears of corn.

COUSCOUS WITH CORN AND SCALLIONS IN BROWN BUTTER
(adapted from Fine Cooking, Aug/Sep 2012)

1 + 1/2 Tbs butter
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
kernels of 2 ears of corn
2 scallions, finely sliced (white and light green parts)
3/4 cup couscous
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup boiling water

Melt the butter on medium-low heat and cook stirring occasionally, until the butter gets a hint of golden color. Do not let it turn brown at this point because it will still cook a little further. Add the thyme, and cook until fragrant.

Add the corn kernels, salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes, increasing the heat slightly so they brown up. Add the scallions, cook until they soften, another minute or so. Add the boiling water all at once, close the pan and remove from the heat. Let it rest 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve.

to print the recipe, click here

My deepest condolences go to Barbara’s husband Bryan, their two sons, family and friends in this difficult time. She will be missed.

(Comments are shutdown for this post)

17Jul2012

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Posted in Appetizers, Breads, Side dishes by sallybr

And the food snob strikes again! 😉

What can I say? Once we tasted the tortillas made in the coziness of our (former) own home, we were shocked by how much better than the store-bought version they are! Get yourself a good quality tortilla press, one that feels heavy and powerful like this one I found for a bargain at ebay.
All you’ll need is a bowl, the masa harina, some water and a little salt. No need to knead, no need to wait. Amazing tortillas will be yours in less than 10 minutes!
HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS
(from the back of Masa Harina’s bag)

2 cups masa harina
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1 + 1/4 cups hot water

Mix together the masa harina, salt, and water in a bowl. Add the smaller amount of water, form a dough. If too rough, add the rest of the water, a little at a time. The dough must stick together, but it should not be too wet, so that when you roll a portion on your hand it will turn out smooth.

Form golf ball-sized chunk of dough and place into a tortilla press protected on both sides by plastic wrap (I cut open a large ziplock type bag). Press, open, peel the tortilla off the plastic, reserve. When all tortillas are made, cook them for 45 seconds to 1 minute per side on a hot skillet, preferably cast iron. Set the cooked tortillas over a inside a folded towel to keep them warm and moist.

For added flavor, right before serving, set each over an open flame until you get small brown blisters on the surface, flip and do the same on the other side.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Now, for the sad news… I was holding this post for publication at a later time, when I could include a special recipe made with the tortillas. But, the stove in our new home is electric and I’m having a bit of a hard time adjusting to it. The lack of a flame prevents me from finishing the tortillas the way I like, so I am not sure when I’ll be able to make tortillas at home again. It might take a while.. 😦

To compensate, I share a link to the type of recipe I’d like to make using homemade corn tortillas. It comes from a great blog I visit often, called Taste Food. Ready? Click here, and ENJOY!

ONE YEAR AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: Brigadeiros: A Brazilian Party!

THREE YEARS AGO: Lemony Asparagus

4Mar2012

WATERCRESS SALAD

Posted in Salads, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a weak spot for words. I fall in love with certain words (no matter what’s the idiom) the very first time I hear or read them. Watercress is one of those. I just love to say it, and I love to see it written with the twin s’s at the end shushing along hand in hand. And I also love the veggie, but where we live it’s hard to find. Plus, when we do find watercress it’s pricey, and sold in plastic containers that require a degree in Puzzle Solving to open. It’s precious stuff! When I found a carton at the grocery store the other day I gently placed it in my cart, hurried home and made a salad that received intense nods of approval from all guests. Full disclosure: there were two guests, me and my beloved. 😉

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH GINGER VINAIGRETTE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

Watercress, preferably young leaves
Orange segments
1 avocado, sliced
cherry tomatoes, cut in half, lightly salted
squeeze of lemon juice

for ginger vinaigrette
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp grated ginger (or use 1 Dorot cube)
salt and black pepper to taste
1/8 cup grapeseed oil

Start by making the vinaigrette. Dissolve the sugar in the rice vinegar, add the ginger, salt, and pepper, and whisk. Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the salad. Right before dressing the salad, you will add the oil, form an emulsion by vigorously mixing it.

Cut the avocado and sprinkle the slices with lemon juice to prevent oxidation. On a serving plate, distribute the watercress leaves, the avocado slices, tomatoes, and orange segments.

Add the dressing (you may not need it all, save leftovers for later), adjust seasoning, and….

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

If you don’t like ginger, this vinaigrette is definitely not for you… Both rice vinegar and grapeseed oil are very mild in taste, so you need something to perk this dressing up. If ginger is a no-no, add some lime zest and a little squeeze of lime juice. That should do it.

Blood oranges are perfect if you find them in your markets. In that case, I’d probably use yellow grape tomatoes, just to mix the colors. Chow-mein noodles are another great addition to this salad. I avoid bringing them home, though, because they usually win the battle against my will power.

ONE YEAR AGO: Carrot and Sweet Potato Puree

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate Bread

1Mar2012

THE WHEAT BERRY TRANSMOGRIFICATION

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

A post dedicated to “The Big Bang Theory” fans… 😉

Wheat berries are an amazing ingredient. You can use them for breakfast, desserts, salads, risotto-type dishes, you can add them to soups and stews. Since I am always searching for side dishes to incorporate in our menu, wheat berries are a great alternative to give some rest to the usual suspects: rice, pasta, and couscous. The other day I was feeling adventurous, and decided to create my own recipe for them. Problems started right away. A search on my cookbooks and online sources left me surprised (and quite puzzled) at the many different methods used to cook the grain. Some people swear you must soak them overnight. Some insist you need a pressure cooker. I threw caution to the wind, didn’t soak them, didn’t invite the pressure cooker to play, but simply cooked them in salted water as if preparing pasta. It took a little over 1 hour to get them the way I wanted: tender but not mushy. After that, I incorporated them with two veggies I adore, and… side dish mission accomplished!

WHEAT BERRIES WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CELERY
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 cup wheat berries
1 medium butternut squash, cut in medium dice
olive oil
salt and pepper
smoked paprika
1 large celery stalk, cut in slices

Heat the oven to 420F.

Cook the wheat berries in plenty of salted water until al dente (depending on the brand, it might take from 1 to 2 hours). When cooked to your taste, drain, and reserve. If not using immediately, add just a little drizzle of olive oil to prevent the grains from sticking too much. Can be prepared a couple of days ahead.

While the wheat berries are cooking, place the diced butternut squash in a bowl, and drizzle olive oil just enough to lightly coat the pieces. Season the squash with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Add them in a single layer over a rimmed baking dish. Roast in the hot oven until cooked, and the edges start to brown (25 to 35 minutes).

Mix the cooked wheat berries with the roasted squash, add the raw celery, incorporate everything together gently. Adjust seasoning, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

We both loved this recipe! Roasted butternut squash has a special place in my heart, and now stores in our neck of the woods carry those cute little bags with the cut veggie, so I often cave and bring those home to make my life easier.

We are also quite fond of raw celery. In this recipe, it gave the needed “crunch factor” to oppose the chewiness and softness of the wheat and squash. The squash, when roasted, tastes a little sweet, so the smoked paprika and the celery help cut through that.

We enjoyed this dish with grilled pork tenderloin, but of course it goes well with all sorts of main dishes, standing also on its own if you add a hearty salad.

Hope you try it!

ONE YEAR AGO: Curried Zucchini Soup

TWO YEARS AGO: Roasted Onion and Asiago Cheese Miche (an outstanding bread!)